A study of the common characteristics found in selected adolescent novels, 1971-1980

Abstract:

This study was (1) to determine the common characteristics in selected adolescent novels, excluding science fiction written during the years 1971-1980; (2) to compare and contrast these common characteristics with the theoretical assertions made by experts who wrote about these novels; and (3) to determine if the adolescent novels written during 1971-1980 underwent an evolutionary process or if they remained constant.A review of the research led to the formulation of the following hypotheses:1. The adolescent novels reviewed for this study would show that there would be an increase in the number of novels of character.2. It would be demonstrated that there would be a movement away from the third person point ofview and that other points of view would be used as well.3. Subjects which were taboo earlier would be presented openly in current adolescent novels.Procedural stages were developed to accomplish the goals of the study.The procedural stages were (1) reviewing the research already done on the subject; (2) selecting representative sources of novels; (3) selecting novels to be used; (4) determining the characteristics to be studied and developing the worksheet; and (5) selecting the methods to be used in reviewing the novels.A worksheet was compiled for each of the selected novels, then a composite was made for each year, as well as for the 10-year period. The composites showed the number of novels and the percentages for each of the categories. The categories were: (1) Novel of Incident or Novel of Character; (2) Time Span and Length of the Novel; (3) Plot Progression-Chronologically or otherwise; (4) Sex of Author versus Sex of Protagonist(s); (5) Viewpoint From Which the Story was Told; (6) Age and Sex of the Protagonist(s); (7) Social Concerns; (8) Social Classes; (9) Family Structure; (10) Setting and (11) Time of Setting.The findings showed that a majority of the adolescent novels of 1971-1980 were "Novels of Character"; the time span was considerably longer than the traditional three months; the length of the novels was slightly longer than months; the length of the novels was slightly longer thanthe expected two-hundred pages, or less; chronological plot progression was still dominant, but some other methods of plot progression were used, such as flashbacks and stream-of-consciousness; most of the novels were written by female authors and most protagonists were female; however, female authors were more likely to use a protagonist of the opposite sex than were male authors. About half of the stories were told in the first person and slightly more than half of these were told from the male point of view. The average age of the protagonist was 15.5 years; nearly four-out-of-five of the novels showed the traditional male/female sex role; many of the novels showed conflicts between the protagonist and an adult, particularly a parent.For the most part, the protagonist was of the white middle or working class and lived with both parents. If one parent was missing, it was usually the father.Settings were equally divided between the city and the country; and when the time of action was determined, it usually took place during the time frame of this study, the 1970s.This investigator concluded from his findings that. the adolescent novel was changing during the 1970s. It had evolved from a rather simple, single-line story of the earlier decades to a rather sophisticated novel with a variety of points of view, several kinds of plot progression, and multiple socioeconomic and geographical settings.The adolescent novel of the 70s depicted various family structures and sex roles not found in earlier adolescent novels. Perhaps most important was the fact that the adolescent novel of the 70s dealt with problems and situations which were common to the adolescent, the intended audience of such a novel.